This invention relates in general to ignition switches and in particular to a so-called starter lockout for such switches which prevents attempted restarting of a running engine.
It has long been recognized that attempting to restart a running engine can cause damage to the flywheel, to the starter, or to other elements of the starting system. Numerous switches have been devised to prevent such attampted restarting of a running engine and many of the devices have proven to be of value. Unfortunately, the more successful of these devices tend to be costly, difficult to fabricate and assemble, and relatively short-lived. The operation of practically all such switches is the same in that several positions are established, generally through the use of detents in a rotary sequence. Perhaps the most common pattern is an accessory position at the furthest counterclockwise position of the switch. Next, in clockwise order, are the OFF position, the ignition and accessory (ON) position, and the START position. The START position is generally springbiased in such a fashion that once starting is achieved, the spring automatically returns the switch to the ON position for ignition and accessories. The lockout feature is usually so designed that having turned the switch to the START position once and released it, one must return the switch to the OFF position before it can be turned to the START position again. Such operation prevents one from attempting to restart an already running engine.
The present invention has as its object a reliable, long-lived rotary switch in which a durable "starter-lockout" system is incorporated to prevent attempted restarting of a running engine. A further object of the present invention is to simplify the fabrication and assembly of such switches and to reduce their cost.